SP2 causing video stutter?

[Byterunner]

Background:
I recently noticed that in some of the games I was playing the video would "stutter" at a regular interval of about 2 seconds. I defragged my system to no avail. It had been quite a long time since my last format/reinstall and figured it was about time. So I formatted. After reinstalling windows and updating all drivers I installed one game and tried it out. Perfectly flawless. Smooth as a baby's bottom - in manner of speaking. I was overjoyed, to say the least. The next day I continued to update everything. During this I updated to SP2. That evening when it was time for my nightly game-fest, I was shocked to notice that the problem had returned!! My video was now stuttering every 1-2 seconds. Service Pack 2 had to be the cause of this! I nearly pulled my hair out and began searching the web for some kind of solution. After hours of scouring and finding some possible fixes that didn't work I quit, dejected. Now I've regained my hope for finding a cure and have registered to let the great minds here take a crack at it...

Symptoms:
Video pauses for half a second every 1-2 seconds. This happens ALL THE TIME. I can be dragging an icon across the desktop and it stutters. There are no apparent problems with sound or anything else, only with display.

System:
Windows XP Professional SP2
Pentium 4 2.53GHz, 1.00 GB RAM
Intel d845PEBT2 Mainboard
XFX GeForce 6600GT 128MB AGP (Forceware 66.93, AAS 256MB)
Dual Monitors: Gateway FPD1520, Xerox XG-70D
Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 MP3+ (Driver Version 5.12.2.252)
Hard Drive: WD400B 40gb ATA100 7200rpm 2MB buffer
DirectX 9.0c

I've tried disabling DEP, disabling the second monitor, starting up with *nothing* running (disabling everything via msconfig), setting all graphic settings in game to lowest. All DirectX tests pass (though there is stutter during during the graphic tests).

Any recommendations? Further information needed?

 

[paparazi]

Byterunner
Sounds similar to a problem I had last week with an Aopen Aelous 6600GT.
Long story short, after 3 formats and changing everything but the motherboard I swapped out the card for a 9800Pro.
Yeh I know! the 6600GT is faster! well not in this machine it wasn't.

These symptoms were bad stuttering

Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[Dwazzue]

I have the same problem... Exactly. Every second I get a system stutter so to speek. This happens whenever you move a window, Icon or when playing a game.

System with Problems
Motherboard: MSI k7n2 Delta ILSR
Processor: AMD XP 2600+
RAM: 1.5Gb
Video: ATI AIW 9600XT 128Mb
OS: XP Pro SP2
Daul Monitor: Acer 17" Plat panels
Sound: SB Live! Value
HD: 2 SATA 250GB Hitachi SpeedStar, 1 Maxtor 160Gb IDE-133


I thought it might be a video or memory issue so I took my ram and video card and put in another computer. They work fine with no stutter on the other computer this computer is totaly different then the one with the issue but I wanted to see if it was a hardware issue and it's all I had

Works on:
Dell Dim 4600
Processor: P4 2.66Ghz
Ram: Same
Video: Same
OS: Same
Monitors: Same
HD: Maxtor 40Gb IDE

Next step switch machines the Dell actually performs better. With the extra ram from its original

Dwazzue

 

[IBACFII]

Have You tried the "n tune" from nvidia??

IBACFII

 

[Dwazzue]

yes I have. no luck...

 

[Krosus]

O.k with Nvid cards the 6600/6800's there is some kind of problem where on a few certain setups there is the stuttering you see. The way that fixes the problem 99% of the time is to turn off 'agp fast writes' in the bios.

 

[Byterunner]

I fixed it!!

I finally took my entire system over to a friend's to take a look with more hardware options to swap out. Two things I didn't take: My HP OfficeJet 710 and my Parallel Zip Drive.

When I set it up at my friend's house, the problem was gone. Everything ran smooth! I figured it was one of the above pieces of hardware, and it turns out it was the ZIP DRIVE!! Since I rarely use it, I have no problem just unhooking and doing without it. I don't know why it was causing the stutter, but the system runs perfectly as long as it isn't plugged in.

 

[IBACFII]

byterunner:
Very cool thanks for posting the fix.
Have you used the n tuner? I would be interested in the numbers you get.

Thanks,
IBACFII

 

[garebo]

I hope paparazi is following this as he has same issue, he may have a few items installed on his computer, even possibly a zip drive or something similar causing the same prob for him, but they dont have pm's here, too bad.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[Dwazzue]

Well I have a zip drive on that machine also. I am not sure if it was plugged in when I was having the problem. I will check as soon as I get the system put back together. It is plugged into the system I am using now and I don't get the stutter?

Possible AMD Mobo issue?

Interesting

 

[UltimateMystery]

Have same motherboard. I'm using a Radeon 7000 and I'm getting same problem with the SP2...

Did you fix it yet? And does the 6600GT work properly on your mobo? Im thinking about buying one